


all i want is you

by yanak324



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Commitment, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Learning from mistakes, Pillow Talk, Post Season 7, Realizations, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 05:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17574902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanak324/pseuds/yanak324
Summary: “Epic kisses, it’s kind of our thing, right?” Caroline, Stefan, and three years worth of baggage. Post Season 7.





	all i want is you

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a roll here and I have no intention of stopping as long as the inspiration keeps coming. Originally, I wasn't the biggest fan of season 7 but after re-watching, I stand corrected. The storylines are smart and even though Caroline and Stefan are apart, they find their way back to each other in a real, honest way. This is my personal take on the aftermath. Title taken from U2 - a song that weirdly reminds me of these two. Alas, I don't own any of the characters or referenced plot lines. Enjoy :)

This is probably what he missed the most. 

Lying with her like this, bodies pressed together shoulder to hip, with nothing but the sound of breath and the occasional rustle of sheets. 

This is what he held onto for three years. 

He had pictured some variation of it so many times, it feels almost surreal now. Like it’s not really happening. 

But Stefan has experienced hallucinations, delusions, and everything in between, so he knows as surely as the sun rises and sets each day, that this is real. 

He just can’t believe he got it back. Got _her_ back.

Caroline must’ve missed this too, because she hasn't moved at all, despite being awake, for the last hour. Very unusual for someone who doesn't like to waste the day.

It never occurs to Stefan that Caroline might be different now; that too much time has passed for him to know what her habits and preferences are nowadays. 

There’s isn’t any doubt because she’s been with him every step of the way. From Ripper status to break ups to familial conflict, she’s seen him through it all. Even when she wasn’t physically there, his thoughts always somehow came back to her, especially when he was on the run. 

Her willingness to take him back, to be right here in his arms after everything he’s put her through, means she feels it too. It's proof that he’s left just as much of an indelible print on her, as she did on him. 

The overwhelming sense of gratitude prompts Stefan to reach for her. The freedom to seek out the smooth curve of her hip and trail his fingertips along her soft, warm skin spurs him on even more. 

He doesn’t stop, splaying his entire palm below her rib cage, reaching all the way to her navel. She’s ticklish there – he remembers – but Caroline doesn’t even squirm. 

He nudges the comforter down just below her shoulder and presses his lips against the smattering of freckles there. That proves to be too much and Caroline turns onto her back, fixing him with eyes that are way too alert, and cheeks that are way too flushed. 

“Hi,” she whispers, stretching like a feline, and igniting sensations that had lain dormant for far too long prior to their reunion. Stefan has a brief flash of Valerie smiling at him from beneath a canopy of stars, but he's no longer fooling anyone. It was never the same with the heretic, not even comparable, despite how much sense they made. 

One look at Caroline in the foyer of her home with Alaric and the twins, and Stefan remembered instantly that there's only been one woman for him. 

Valerie knew it all along. 

“Hey,” he says back just as quietly, running his thumb across her cheek. 

The way Caroline leans into his touch sparks the strongest urge to kiss her, and Stefan doesn’t hesitate.

He dives in, covering her mouth completely. Caroline immediately tilts her head up to give him better access and not even a moment later, runs her tongue along his lips, seeking entrance. 

They’re on the precipice of getting carried away and the very fact that they can – that they have the freedom to spend all day in this hotel bed – makes Stefan nearly mad with arousal. 

It's Caroline who eventually pulls away. The sight of her with rosy cheeks, wild blond curls and half laden eyes revealing the lazy promise of so much more makes up for the loss of her lips. 

Stefan can’t remember a time where he’s seen her so relaxed, so unburdened. 

“What was that for?” 

Stefan pulls her flush against him – lips separated by a hairsbreadth.

“Epic kisses,” he murmurs against her mouth, “it’s kind of our thing, right?” 

It's not intended as question, but now that it’s out there, it feels like he’s asking for confirmation of so much more.

A quick scan of their surroundings reminds him that they are in a motel just a few miles away from the home Caroline shares with Alaric and the twins.

Last night in the middle of undressing Caroline, he had peeled a bright yellow flower sticker off her arm. It hadn’t deterred him then, but now in the stark light of morning, it’s a reminder of a life she built while he was away, one that doesn’t include him. 

And he desperately needs reassurance that there is a space for him in her life, that they can make their relationship work in this new reality. 

Perhaps it’s testament to how well _she_ knows _him,_ that Caroline doesn’t skip a beat, addressing his concern head on.

“Hey, you’ve got your Tuesday face on, and the weekend isn’t even over.” 

It seems like the perfect way to snap him out of his reverie, beginnings of a smile pulling at his lips.

“What’s wrong?” She asks, reaching out to smooth his perpetually furrowed brow. 

The gesture is so utterly maternal, Stefan wonders how he could have ever thought she wouldn’t become a mother to the twins. She's a natural at it. By some twist of faith, she actually got the opportunity to be one, and regardless of how improbable it is, it makes the more sense than anything else in the entire world. 

A familiar coil of fear twists inside him and for a moment, Stefan considers deflecting, simply to avoid what’s really on his mind. 

But isn’t that what got him in this situation in the first place? 

Three years apart because he didn’t fight for her, didn’t fight for what they had. Instead, he deemed their relationship unsalvageable and removed himself from the equation under the pretense of making it easier on her – something Damon would call a classic “hero move.” 

The novelty of being the hero has worn off though, and Stefan is done making the same mistakes, not when he just got Caroline back. 

Instead, he does something he probably should have done from the moment they kissed three days ago.

“I want to make this work with you, Caroline. You, me, Alaric, the twins. You've built this incredible life, and I don’t want to take any of it away from you. All I want is to be a part of it.” 

When she doesn’t say anything, he keeps going. 

“I know there is a lot to figure out. These last few weeks, especially, have not been easy on you and Ric. I brought this whole mess into your life-“

At this, Caroline tries to protest but he doesn’t let her. 

“But if there’s anything I’ve learned in the last three years, it’s that no amount of freedom, or adventure, will ever compare to being with you. So, I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll spend the rest of our time together making it up to you. If you’d let me.” 

He reaches for her hand and threads their fingers together. Bringing them up to his lips, he kisses each knuckle just to punctuate how serious he is. 

“What about Damon?” 

It’s a fair question and it doesn’t surprise him at all. He’s chosen his brother over her time and again, but that’s in the past. 

Despite the dread Stefan feels at the mere mention of Damon, there’s also something else there – clarity, hope, faith.

Trust that he can save Damon without sacrificing everything for him again, especially Caroline. 

Stefan has to believe that, because anything else would take him right back to where he was three years ago, and that’s the last place he wants to be. 

“I’ll find a way to save him, but not at the expense of you and me. Not ever again.” 

Caroline is strangely silent, expression contemplative as she purses her lips together. 

It feels like their future hangs in the balance, and Stefan is so deeply entrenched in the fear, in the uncertainty, that he almost misses when Caroline finally does speak. She grasps the back of his neck and drapes her leg around his waist, drawing him in until there’s not a semblance of space between them.

“Together,” She says resolutely and proceeds to kiss along his jaw, not stopping until she reaches his ear. He lets himself enjoy the moment, losing himself in her scent, feel of her lips, wisps of her tongue as she darts out to taste him.

Her words don’t even register until she pulls away and he has a chance to look into her eyes again, eyes that sparkle with promise, with love, with understanding. 

“We’re going to find a way to save Damon together, because I’m in this too, Stefan; and I’m not letting you go ever again.” 

With just a few words, she manages to loosen the knot of fear and anxiety in his chest. 

A memory flashes in his mind’s eye: Sheriff Forbes' wake at the Grill, he and Damon sharing a bottle of bourbon in Liz's honor. 

This, _this right here_ is the kind of love he remembers telling his brother about; the kind that doesn’t consume to the point of obsession and heartache. 

The kind that soothes and supports, growing from a single ember into a full-blown flame. 

The kind of flame that doesn’t engulf and extinguish but burns strong and powerful. The kind that can withstand any challenge and even thrive in the face of adversity. The kind he and Caroline can have if they commit to putting each other first. 

He buries his hand wrist deep in Caroline’s curls and presses his forehead against hers. 

“I love you, Caroline Forbes, so much, and I know you deserve better but-” 

He’s interrupted by a gentle huff of frustration that’s so uniquely Caroline, it makes his heart constrict in the most pleasant way. 

“I love you too, Stefan Salvatore. So, how about you let me decide what I deserve?” 

Even though there’s a hint of humor in her tone, Stefan knows she’s serious, knows that she needs reassurance that if a situation like what they’d just gone through arises again, he’ll let her decide what kind of life she wants to live instead of making the decision for her. 

He can work with that.

“Deal.”

“Good,” Caroline smiles back, a genuine, radiant smile that makes her even more beautiful than he thought possible. 

God, he has missed her. 

“Now,” she says, tightening her leg around his waist and reminding him that she’s very naked and very much within reach, “how about more of those epic kisses? I could use a few more.” 

“Ya?” He plays along, hand leaving her hair and cradling her cheek again as he inches closer. 

Caroline nods but doesn’t wait, leaning in and taking what's rightfully hers. 

Stefan is more than happy to oblige.

xxx


End file.
